


The Language Of Flowers

by 4Jean_Drake7



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: :), Bisexual Leo Valdez, Gay Nico di Angelo, Hurt Nico di Angelo, Jason Grace is a Good Friend, Like it's very brief, M/M, Mentioned Annabeth Chase, Minor Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Minor Calypso/Leo Valdez, Minor Hazel Levesque/Frank Zhang, Minor Jason Grace/Piper McLean, Minor Nico di Angelo/Percy Jackson, Nico di Angelo & Percy Jackson Friendship, Nico di Angelo & Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano Friendship, Nico doesn't know, Only if you squint - Freeform, Past Nico di Angelo/Will Solace, Past Relationship(s), Percy is a Dork, Percy is protective of Nico, Protective Percy, Sad Leo Valdez, You can name it as friendship, they broke up
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-04
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:00:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27387592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/4Jean_Drake7/pseuds/4Jean_Drake7
Summary: He stared down at the flower.An Amaranthus Caudatus.The flower for hopelessness.Or in his case, hopeless love.He felt the urge to crush the flower in his hands, feel the many tiny petals squish under his hand.Squeeze them to death. Just like his heart.Disclaimer: author wrote the first two chapters before reading Trials of Apollo, so just assume this is a different take before the books series.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Hazel Levesque/Frank Zhang, Nico di Angelo/Leo Valdez
Comments: 4
Kudos: 42





	1. Amaranthus Caudatus

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first chapter to The Language Of Flowers. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> Side note: please look up the flower in each title to understand each chapter

Love-lies-bleeding, a popular Victorian garden plant, represents hopelessness or hopeless love. It has religious significance too, suggesting the compassion and sacrifice of Jesus.

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

We love until we break.

We love until we bleed.

We love until we die.

We love in unexpected places.

We love until it kills us.

We love until it breaks our hearts.

We love until we can't anymore.

But in this case, he loves until his heart is broken.

A broken heart is something familiar to him now. It hurts every time, no matter how often it's been broken. It's not foreign anymore, not uncommon.

But it still hurts. Her words still hurt, even if he was the one to break it off.

Calypso didn't love him anymore. But then again, he didn't love her.

She wanted to travel the world, see the newest things that had been created, wanted to see everything that had changed during her time on the island.

But he didn't.

He's spent his entire life traveling, wandering the United States. And he hated it. He wanted a home, a family he could come to. Somewhere to go to where he could feel at peace. Something that was consistent in his seemingly ever changing life.

He didn't want to see the waves crash by unfamiliar beaches, didn't want to see the many strangers out on the streets looking happy about being with their own families, when he wasn't with his own.

He didn't want to see the different houses and buildings pass by, ones that Annabeth could improve. He didn't want to watch the lightning storms pass that Jason could force away.

He didn't want to see rocks that looked like Hazel's jewels, watch animals pass by and assume they're Frank, or see water and think of Percy.

And he didn't want to see gravestones pass by and think of Nico. 

Leo didn't think he could handle all of that. And Calypso didn't understand. She wanted to see the whole world. She didn't- couldn't- stay at Camp Half-Blood. She told him it wasn't for her.

And he understood. She didn't fit in. And she wanted to see the world. But he didn't, so that was that. They couldn't be together, and he accepted it.

In fact, he felt relief flood his veins.

As he watched Calypso walk away, the sunset sending warm yellow rays of light to beam behind her, forming her shape and illuminating her form, he felt himself release a large breath of air.

And a weight lift off of his chest.

Ever since he had heard about Calypso's plans to travel the world, to visit many different places, her plans to move about for the next few years, he felt himself holding his breath.

He felt himself waiting for something with her to click. He waited for her to do something, to say something to him that will make him want to stay with her.

But she never did.

The relationship they formed on the island was very different now that there was nothing holding the two back from dating. It felt as if their chains had been cut, and they had been let go.

But what now? What do they do? Where do they go? What do they say?

Ever since he met her, he's thought of how persistent she could be, driven to get what she wanted. And don't get him wrong, he liked that in a woman. But when it was directed away from his own intentions, it drove him insane.

And he realized he wasn't the only one who felt this way. Thinking back to their times alone on the island, she avoided him for a while, trying to hold a grudge against him for something he never did, never asked for.

But when they got close, they were both driven on one goal, but yet two different ones. Calypso wanted him gone because she found him annoying. He wanted to leave to save his friends. And when they left, when they were both free, she wanted to travel, and he wanted to stay.

They always say opposites attract, but he felt like they were so strongly against each other that when they came together, they both broke a little.

The more he thought about it, standing there at Camp's borders, the more he realized they wouldn't have lasted long. They were simply too different, and he was mad he hadn't realized it sooner.

His heart still felt heavy. Maybe they could have overcome this problem and found a compromise. But now Calypso was long gone, tracking through the woods and making her own way around the world.

Leo didn't know how long he stood there, watching the sunset pass by, the sky turning from the soft colors of yellow, pink, and orange, into a shade of navy blue that warned him night was soon to come.

But he didn't care. He felt stuck now. He was back to square two. At least he had a home. At least he was home. That was all he cared about in that moment.

A cold hand being placed on his shoulder scared him out of his train of thoughts. Leo turned his head to try and find who's hand it was.

Nico di Angelo.

Leo turned to face the boy completley, spreading a small grin across his face. He scanned Nico up and down quickly from his black hair to his scuffed up tennis shoes.

But his attention was focused on the flower Nico held in his hand.

An Amaranthus Caudatus.

He recognized this flower mostly from when Katie Gardner tried to teach him the importance of flowers and wildlife when he accidentally built a machine that destroyed a small patch of her garden.

Nico followed Leo's attention to the flower in his hand, and then extended his hand forward, flower in hand.

"This is for you. Katie sends her regards." And I do too was left unsaid.

"Thanks." Leo says simply, before gently grabbing the flower, trying not to pay attention to the feeling of Nico's cold fingers brush his own warm ones.

"Get some sleep, Leo." Nico replies before walking away. This time Leo doesn't watch. He looks at the flower instead.

He stared down at the flower.

An Amaranthus Caudatus.

The flower for hopelessness.

Or in his case, hopeless love.

He felt the urge to crush the flower in his hands, feel the many tiny petals squish under his hand.

Squeeze them to death. Just like his heart.

Instead he let the haunting flower sit there in the center of his palm, the violent color of its petals haunting his vision against the darkness of the sky around him.

Crinsom. The color of blood. A dead love.


	2. Black Rose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one is rather crappy.
> 
> Read at your own risk.

The black rose is a mysterious bloom that can convey many meanings. The color black has often been synonymous with death and mourning and is usually used at funerals. But black roses do have a more positive meaning as well. They can stand for the beginning of new things and major change.

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

Love makes us scared.

Love makes us weak.

Love makes us frightened.

Love makes us worry.

Love makes us cower.

Love makes us fearful.

Love makes us think.

But in this case, love makes him think.

It's made him think a lot about his life choices. About what future he might have, and made him rethink many things.

It's also made him think what he wants in a relationship.

Ever since his breakup with Will, Nico's been a mess. He doesn't know how to handle himself, how to treat himself properly, and it's only gotten worse.

It's only been a week since the two had broken up, but it feels like years to the young Italian.

The two teenagers have managed to not make it as awkward as Nico was afraid it would have been. Will still checks up on him sometimes, but he isn't as insistent on things as he used to be.

Which made Nico very thankful.

Of course there was still tension between the two, but every time it got too awkward, Will would excuse himself and make his way towards the infirmary. Nico didn't stop him.

Currently, Nico was sparring with his sword against a skeleton he had summoned a while ago.

His stygian iron sword whipped in the air as he tried to attack the skeleton, only to have been blocked by said skeletons own silver sword.

And that's how Nico's routine has been for the past week. Spar, eat, sleep, repeat.

He didn't talk to anyone unless spoken to, didn't walk up to anyone. Sure, he missed his sister and Jason. And sure, he missed Reyna. But they were all at the other camp and wouldn't return for another few weeks.

Nico swung his sword to stab at the skeletons ribcage, only the have the skeleton nick his cheek before disappearing down into the Earth.

The young raven haired teen didn't realize how tired he truly was until that moment. His shoulder muscles ached, his legs felt like jelly, the room was spinning, and he was breathing hard.

He plunged his sword into the ground and rested both hands on the tip of the handle, and he allowed his knees to give out.

"Hey Nico. You okay?"

That voice. He knew that voice all too well.

"I'm fine." Nico managed to gasp out between his heavy breathing, his stomach starting to jitter as he felt Percy move closer to him.

"You sure? You don't look too well. When's the last time-"

"I said I'm fine." Nico cut Percy off.

There was a moment of awkward silence before Percy responded.

"Just... make sure to take care of yourself."

Nico closed his eyes before nodding once, and stayed in that position until he was certain Percy had left him.

He slowly pushed himself up and onto his legs, which now felt stiff, and pulled his sword out of the ground before strapping it to his belt.

The teen stared at the ground for a while, debating in his head what to do, before deciding to take a walk and see if any ideas could come to him.

As he passed by the many different cabins, his eyes stayed glued to the Poseidon cabin a little longer than necessary. His mind wandered to Percy's brief visit, before shrugging it off and trecking past them to walk towards the infirmary.

It's been a habit of his to come here frequently. Mostly because it was where Will would meet up with him if he was too busy.

Also because Nico strangely got hurt a lot, even from simple things such as tree branches in the woods.

Nico stopped himself a little ways outside of the infirmary's entrance, trying to weigh out the pros and cons of walking in to get a bandage for his cut cheek.

When he had decided against walking in, figuring there was a lot of people in there, due to a fight between the Ares cabin and the Hermes cabin earlier that day, he moved towards the camp entrance.

Halfway there, Katie Gardner had stopped him in his path.

"Nico! Could you give this to Leo for me? Tell him I send my regards. Thanks!"

As fast as she appeared she disappeared, leaving Nico with a flower in his hand and many questions wandering in his head.

Instead of pondering on the subject, Nico marched up towards Thalia's tree, where Leo stood by, watching the sun set into the horizon.

Nico placed a hand on Leo's shoulder, and noticed how Leo jumped slightly, a look of fear in his eyes for a brief moment before a small smile was spread on his face.

The pale teen waited as the Latino scanned him quickly, before his full attention was focused on the flower that Katie had given him.

Nico extended his hand and gave the tan teenager the flower.

"This is for you. Katie sends her regards." And I do too was left unsaid.

"Thanks." Leo says simply, before gently grabbing the flower, his warm hands sending sparks of heat onto Nico's cold hands.

"Get some sleep, Leo." Nico simply replies before walking away. The Italian was feeling rather more drained than he had originally thought, and he thought of taking a small nap.

As he marched back to his own cabin, the black wood blending in with the darker sky, his main source of light now becoming the shining stars in the sky.

Nico sagged his shoulders as he entered the cabin, now feeling the pressure of his depression coming full force at him. Pushing it away and ignoring it was easier when it was lighter.

But now it felt as if the weight had been heavier. Ever since Tartarus.

The teen shook those thoughts away, trying to forget about his experiences in that dreaded place that he could have experienced twice.

When his body hit one of the few beds in the cabin, he faced the doorway and stared at the singular black rose placed in a small flower pot until his eyes felt heavy, and he accepted the black that would soon come with nightmares.


	3. Petunias

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I am so so so so so so so so so so so so so so SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO sorry this chapter is so so late. It's been a hectic month with school, and I've been writing Maze Runner One Shots as well as managing having a life.

Some of the most common meanings for the petunia are a soothing nature, resentment, and anger. Anger and resentment are common themes for this flower when it is given to someone with whom you have recently had an argument. ... In some circles, petunias can also symbolize the desire to never lose hope.

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

Leo wanted to go back to Bunker 9 and continue working on a slingshot that one of the Ares campers had asked him to build. He wanted to tuck himself into the shadows of his own place and blend into them, leaving himself forgotten to the world.

Yet for some reason, he didn’t.

Maybe the exhaustion from the breakup was finally creeping up on him, maybe it was because he stood on the hill for over an hour, deep in thought, or maybe it was because he simply didn’t have the energy to stay awake any longer.

Whatever the reason was for his sudden loss of energy, he couldn’t think of it right now. He pulled his eyes away from the shining stars in the sky and walked quickly to Cabin 9, trying to make it before the harpies came out to play.

Not many people were out of their cabins at this point. He could barely make out the silhouette of Annabeth as she walked back to her own cabin, her curly honey hair tied up into a ponytail, swinging slightly from side to side as she walked up to the door of the Athena cabin.

Leo sighed when he reached his own cabin door, before swinging it open and heading straight to his own bed, not bothering to change out of his usual attire, and ignoring the calls from some of the others in the cabin with him.

Instead of laying on the bed for a while, twisting and turning as he tried to bring sleep from the far corners of his mind, Leo found sleep to come over him almost instantly.

~~~

When Leo found himself awake, he felt like he could barely breathe, as if something had invaded the clean air and created a thick substance to replace it.

The Latino couldn’t remember a single thing he had dreamed of the previous night, which he found was odd. Usually campers never have a hard time with things like that. Especially when a quest is involved in their lives.

As Leo tried to take in large gasps of breath, he scanned the room. A few campers were still huddled in their beds, blankets draped over their forms. A few beds were empty, but Leo didn’t worry, because the ones missing from the cabin were usually up at dawn.

Leo got off his bed and headed outside, only to feel a change in the atmosphere. Something didn’t feel quite right, though it was hard for Leo to place his finger on what exactly was wrong.

Leo walked past some of the cabins, trying to see if anything was wrong with anyone. For a moment, there was complete and utter silence. The air seemed normal again, and the camp almost felt completely at ease, which was an uncommon feeling to Leo.

Unfortunately, like every good thing in the world, the silence didn’t last. And neither did the sense of peace.

A scream sounded from Cabin 13, causing Leo to stay completely still in shock for a brief moment, before dashing off towards the Hades cabin. The screams seemed to echo and vibrate, and Leo could feel the air becoming denser once again, causing him to have to slow his jogging so he wouldn’t pass out. 

When he arrived at the door, he could hear choked sobs coming from inside. The Latino was debating whether he should knock on the door or just walk in, until he could hear the sobs becoming more panicked, and he could almost feel the scream that was about to burst from the young boy's throat. 

Leo decided to burst in. The first image he was met with was pale skin contrasting against dark blankets on one of the beds near the windows in the back of the room. The pale color was moving in sharp and intense movements, whimpering and sobs coming from his mouth, and the sound of blankets shifting mixed in with it.

Instead of standing in the doorway like an idiot, Leo went over to Nico, who was still tossing in turning, his eyes closed but his face in one of horror and fear. The sight of him was enough to make Leo think maybe he was wrong about Nico. Maybe he wasn’t all that scary.

Just as Nico was about to scream again, Leo decided it best if he tried to gently wake him up. Although that proved to be difficult. He knew Nico was really touch sensitive, so shaking him was out of the question. He didn’t want to pour water on him, that would just terrify him even more. 

The last thing on his mind was what he ended up doing. Usually when he was younger, he would often look to a nice melody in time of need to calm himself down. And maybe, just maybe, it might also help Nico out in his sleep. 

“Nothing's gonna harm you, not while I'm around. Nothing's gonna harm you, no sir, not while I'm around. Demons are prowling everywhere, nowadays, I'll send 'em howling, I don't care, I got ways. No one's gonna hurt you, no one's gonna dare. Others can desert you, not to worry, whistle, I'll be there. Demons'll charm you with a smile, for a while, but in time, nothing can harm you, not while I'm around.”

The song had seemed to calm Nico down, and wake him up. Leo didn’t know when exactly Nico had done either, as he was too focused on the song, but when he finished, he could see a puzzled expression on the others face.

“What?” Leo asked, causing Nico to blink before responding.

“Where did you hear that song?” Nico asked, shifting to sit up on the bed.

Leo pulled out a stress ball out of his belt and unconsciously fiddled with it as he answered. “I don’t really know. I remember one of the adults at one of the orphanages singing it to me when I was little. I never bothered to ask where they heard it.”

“Oh.” Nico said, looking down at his own hands. The two sat in silence for a few minutes, Leo playing with his stress ball andNico staring at the floor as his fingers twiddled with one another. 

“So-” Leo started.

“Thanks-” Nico said at the same time, causing the two to look at each other, Leo close to laughter and Nico with his unreadable expression.

Leo gestured towards Nico, a silent agreement that Nico continues. “For helping me. I…” Nico sighed deeply, his shoulders dropping. “I’m sorry I bothered you. You can leave now.”

The quizzical expression on Leo’s face morphed into one of sadness when Nico finished his sentence. Before the Latino could say anything else, Nico got up from the bed and headed towards the door of the Cabin, opening it and standing by it, looking at Leo expectantly. 

Instead of arguing, Leo got up from the bed and walked towards the door, stopping in front of the raven haired boy. He took in his appearance, the heavy and prominent bags under his eyes that would be visible from a mile away due to his pale skin, his skinny form and the way his clothes hung off his body in ways they shouldn’t. 

Leo hesitated, ready to give the boy a hug, and then remembering he didn’t DO hugs, or physical contact, and instead gave a small wave with a sad smile before heading out. He walked down the few wooden steps and something crushed underneath his feet when they met with the ground.

The Latino looked down to see a smushed purple petunia laying flat on the ground, wrinkled in the shape of part of his boot. He looked at it for a few seconds longer before walking back to his Cabin to make sure everyone would be awake soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes there's a Sweeney Todd reference, because I'm a musical geek. Friggin fight me if you hate Sweeney Todd.


	4. Red Anemones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So.
> 
> Since I last posted I have had:
> 
> To study for midterms  
> To study for 5 Benchmark Assessments  
> 3 mental breakdowns :") (I swear I'm fine now)  
> Who knows how much sleep  
> Not enough food  
> Not enough water (I should probably be dead by now)  
> And not enough time to write
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this chapter :')

According to the Victorian language of flowers, anemone flowers also signify fragility. According to both Greek mythology and Christianity, the red anemone symbolizes death or the act of forsaken love. While Aphrodite was crying, Adonis shed blood on the anemones that came from her tears and stained them red.

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_ “Niiiiiicooooooo.” _

_ “Who’s there?” _

_ “You can’t hide from me.” _

_ “Who are you?” _

_ “Your greatest fear.” _

_ Pain. So much pain. _

_ “Stop it!” _

_ “You can’t stop me, foolish one.” _

_ “Stop it!” _

_ Nico clutched his head in desperation, wanting the pain in his head to just go away. Wanting his heart to stop swelling in his chest.  _

_ Black. All he could see was black. He couldn’t see anything besides the color, but could feel the voice echo in his head. It scared him to no end.  _

_ “You can not stop me. There is no way to stop what the heart truly desires. You can only give it what it wants to stop the pain.” _

_ “Why are you doing this to me?” _

_ Only a chuckle in the darkness. _

_ “Answer me!” _

_ “In time, Ghost King. Only in time.” _

_ The chuckles faded away, but the pain was growing stronger. The only thing he could hear was his own crying, desperately wishing for it all to stop. For the pain in his head and his heart to cease. _

_ His chest felt like it was ready to explode, and his head made him feel dizzy. But he also felt drained, tired, like he had just shadow traveled. He just wanted everything to end. _

_ After what felt like hours of endless pain, a soft whisper started to come to him. When he heard it over his choked sobs, he tried to focus on the singing instead of the pain in his chest. _

_ “No one's gonna hurt you, no one's gonna dare. Others can desert you, not to worry, whistle, I'll be there.” _

_ He didn’t recognize the voice to be either Jason or Hazel’s, but he could just barely remember the song. His brain was screaming at him, trying to tell him where he remembered it, but it felt like something was blocking the memory from it. _

_ “Demons'll charm you with a smile, for a while,”  _

_ It was Leo.  _

Leo was singing to him. And although there were a few spots where his singing could improve, it actually sounded nice to Nico. He felt a small smile form on lips when he saw Leo’s closed eyes.

“But in time, nothing can harm you, not while I'm around.”

After he finished, the Latino snapped his eyes open, and Nico quickly changed his smile into a thoughtful expression, hoping the Latino didn’t see the small grin on his face.

“What?” Leo asked. Nico blinked.

“Where did you hear that song?” Nico asked, before suddenly becoming very aware of the sweat built up on his body from the nightmare. He went to go sit up, and tried extremely hard to hide his grimace when he could feel his head pounding. 

Nico watched as Leo pulled out a stress ball from his belt. “I don’t really know. I remember one of the adults at one of the orphanages singing it to me when I was little. I never bothered to ask where they heard it.”

“Oh.” 

Nico could feel the back of his head screaming at him, saying that he remembered it from somewhere, but he still could not pinpoint where he had heard the comforting song.

“Thanks-”

“So-”

They both attempted to start at the same time, only to send Leo into a small fit of giggles as Nico continued to keep his gaze on his pale hands. When Leo had stopped moments later, he gestured to Nico.

“For helping me. I…” _don’t know what to do. Who is out to get me. Where to start._ “I’m sorry I bothered you. You can leave now.”

The Italian shoved the guilt of making Leo look so sad off his shoulders as he got up and headed for the door, hoping that Leo would understand he didn’t want to be in this strange predicament any longer.

Leo walked over, with some hesitation of course, and stopped just in front of him, his face making Nico think he was having an internal debate. Eventually he gave a small wave before heading out.

Nico closed the cabin door immediately, trying to push the sad look on Leo’s face to the back of his mind, not wanting to linger on his stunning brown eyes or curly black hair that his long dark eyelash would flicker against.

Nope.

He wanted those thoughts to stop.

To busy his mind, the first thing he did was make his very messy bed. Blankets were strewn about and he even managed to mess up the sheets. One of the pillows had somehow ended up on the floor as well. 

In a matter of minutes the bed was made. Nico took a look at the black rose again, and actually snarled at it. He may like the color black, but black roses usually meant death, and he was all too familiar with that. 

Sometimes he wished he wasn’t a child of Hades. Or even a demigod.

He had wishes of being normal, having a family, a dad who paid attention to him, an older sister that would be there in his time of need, a mom to help him through life. But he had none of that, and he knew he never would.

He knew it was wishing too hard, and he knew other demigods wished the same thing. But that’s all it was, and all it ever will be. A wish.

As Nico stared out the window, lost in thought, he imagined himself in the life of a normal teenager. Maybe he would have a boyfriend with black hair and tan skin, with shiny green, no, wait, brown eyes and a grin that could make butterflies fill his stomach. 

And oh how he desperately wished it could be a reality.

A knock on his door to the Hades cabin brought him out of his thoughts, and he had paid no mind to the fact that the one he had wished to be with was the Latino who had just helped him out of a nightmare. 

He also paid no mind to the fact that red anemones had fully bloomed on the windowsill near his bed.


	5. Snapdragon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's gonna be so much drama in this chapter, it's ridiculous. But it's important to the plot, so it is what it is.

Snapdragons have multiple meanings. They can represent strength, as they're able to grow in rocky, typically uninhabitable areas, but they can also symbolize themes like deviousness and grace. Snapdragons are sometimes used as a charm against falsehood.

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

Other than his encounter with Nico, Leo’s morning was pretty uneventful. After the Ghost King had basically kicked him out of Cabin 13, he found himself taking a walk across the shoreline. His thoughts were a mess as he tried to sort out his even messier feelings, and he tried to calm himself down by staring at the ocean.

“Hey Leo.” Someone had put their hand on Leo’s shoulder, which caused him to jump slightly before turning around to see who it was.

“Oh, hey Percy.”

Percy gave Leo a small smile, but the Latino could see something in his eyes. He couldn’t quite read it, but it looked like concern. 

“Listen, I heard from one of the campers that you were the one that helped Nico calm down from another nightmare.”

“Another?”

Percy’s face morphed into a more serious look, and Leo swore he looked way older than he did a few seconds ago. 

“Nico’s been through more than probably half this camp combined. It’s possible even more than just half, but that’s not the point. I don’t know how much you know about him, but he’s been through more than anyone ever should go through. He’s really tough, but there are still things that can easily break him. You didn’t hurt him, did you?”

Leo choked on his own shock. “No, I would never! At least, not on purpose.”

It was silent for a few seconds, and Leo held his breath as he waited for Percy’s response. The son of Poseidon’s shoulders sagged, and his intense gaze turned soft again, with a rough edge to it. “Okay. Sorry for interrogating you, but I just can’t let people hurt him anymore if I can help it. I broke one promise, and I’m not about to break another.”

Leo didn’t understand all of what the older boy was saying, but he got the summary of it. Hurt Nico, and he paid. Simple and straight to the point, mostly. 

Percy looked hesitant to leave, like he wanted to say something else, but decided against it and walked off. The place on Leo’s shoulder where Percy had gripped him was cold for a moment, before his naturally warm body temperature returned to normal. 

When Leo looked back at the ocean, he only felt odd. An uneasy feeling swept through him, just like the waves of the salty water, and he could feel the atmosphere around him change slightly. The small breeze turned into a gush of wind, and he heard people start to scream from behind him.

He had a guess as to what was happening, and he really wanted his theory to be wrong. Even though he’s only been on one quest, it still wasn’t the highlight of his life (or maybe it was, but all the moments where he thought someone was going to die had overruled any enjoyment for the trip) and he prayed to the gods that he wasn’t involved in this one.

Leo sighed before dashing off towards the cabins, on the lookout for a large group of campers crowding around Rachel Elizabeth Dare. It didn’t take him long to find them, however, because he could see the green mist from about a mile away.

People in orange t-shirts gathered around the Oracle, who surprisingly wasn’t saying anything yet. It was as if the Oracle was waiting for something.

It felt like hours had passed without the Oracle saying a thing, even though it was only seconds. From the corner of his eye he could see Nico had walked up to the crowd, a curious look on his face, which turned into a stern glare as the Oracle began speaking.

“To the one unwilling

And the other in shame

Have yet to discover something thrilling 

In the arena of the matchmakers game.

The one unwilling faces trials

The one in shame will find misfortune

Expect the games to be vile

But will end when faced with an orchid.

Do not underestimate the orchid’s power

Undecidedness will be the greatest enemy

And if not used, the other will turn dour

While their life grows unsuccessfully.

Make haste

For there is no time to waste.”

When the last word was said, everyone fell into silence as Rachel stopped reciting the prophecy. Many campers looked uneasy, and Leo could see the horrified look on Percy’s face. He’s been on a lot of quests in the past. What if this is another one of his? There were a lot of warnings in the prophecy, and it sounded like a personal test to some people.

Chiron was the one who broke the silence. “All head counselors, meeting in five minutes.”

It was a warning. Of course it was. The last two lines of the prophecy said that they were running out of time. A shiver ran down his spine before he started to head towards the Rec Room. 

He watched absently as other camp counselors walked ahead of him, including Percy, Annabeth, Will, and Katie. His feet felt heavy as he moved with the others, and he had a sinking feeling in his chest. He had hoped they would be done with the quests for a while. 

Apparently fate said otherwise. 

As everyone moved into the room, Leo sat down in one of the chairs that surrounded the ping pong table. To the right of him, Piper sat on a stool, and on the left, Lou Ellen sat on a small wooden chair. The tension in the air was thick, and Leo could feel it weigh on his shoulders.

“I’m not going to sugarcoat this. This prophecy seems to be specifically targeted for two people. Who they are, I’m not sure, but it has to be someone at camp. Narrowing down the list will take a while, but-”

“I’m going.” A voice cut Chiron off, causing everyone to stare at him with wide eyes and open jaws.

“Are you crazy?” Piper asked, slamming her hands on the table and standing up. Leo could see the anger on her face. 

“Yes.” Nico answered without a moment's hesitation. Leo didn’t know if he wanted to cry more or laugh because that sounded like something he himself would say.

“No, absolutely not. Nico-”

“I’m not a child, Percy. You can’t tell me if I’m allowed to go or not.” Nico crossed his arms, his expression darkening as he stared at Percy, who looked deeply angry. 

“Give me one good reason you should go.” Percy shot back, causing everyone to feel a little uncomfortable as they watched the fight between the two.

“Because I had a nightmare last night. I know it’s connected to the quest, so I’m going, and you can’t stop me.” 

Percy looked absolutely torn at that moment. His eyes shimmered with water, making his sea green eyes turn into a teal. It was obvious he was trying to fight off a sad frown with one of scorn, and disbelief was written all over his face.

Annabeth placed a hand on his shoulder, and he looked back at her to see she was giving him a warning gaze. Leo knew that gaze very well. It was clear she was trying to tell him to ignore his instincts. 

Instead of giving in, however, Percy started to speak. “If Nico’s going, then I-”

“I volunteer!” Leo cut Percy off, who looked rather shocked. Annabeth shot him a grateful look, but Piper only got angrier. 

“What!?” Piper literally screamed. Her whole body was tense, and now she was the one with water in her eyes. Her face was full of fear, and Leo felt a little bad for offering to go with Nico. Only a little, though.

Leo stood up from his own chair. “Nico’s my friend. If he’s going, then I’m going. I don’t care if I’m the other person in the prophecy or not. I’m going and that’s final.”

Piper looked defeated. Leo hated that look on her face, but he had already committed himself for the quest, and no way was he backing out now. From the opposite end of the green ping pong table, Chiron sighed.

“Then it is decided. Leo Valdez and Nico di Angelo will start their quest tomorrow. Will will provide you both with medical supplies and ambrosia. Meeting adjourned.”

When Chiron walked away, so did most of the camp counselors. Some patted him on the back for being brave before heading off, and before he knew it, the only people left in the room were Nico, Percy, Annabeth, Piper, and himself. 

Annabeth walked over to Leo first, giving him a hug before meeting his eyes. “Thank you.” She whispered to him, heading off after giving Percy a stern look. 

Percy was next. “I can’t thank you enough.” He too gave Leo a hug. “Watch over him for me. Make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid,” Percy whispered in his ear before releasing his hug. As he walked off, Piper looked at him for a moment, probably debating what to say to him.

Her stern expression turned into a sad, broken one. She wrapped him up in a hug and released it before he could even register it. “Be careful. Don’t die.” And then she walks off, leaving Leo stunned for a moment. 

Nico looks at him for a while, doesn’t say anything to him, just scans him carefully. It makes Leo self conscious, so he grabs a random object from his belt and fiddles with it. He focuses his gaze on a single snapdragon that sat in a dirty flowerpot in one of the corners of the room, trying to keep his mind off Nico and his gaze.

After a while, Nico sighs. “You’re an idiot.”

And then he too, is gone, leaving Leo with spinning thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) The prophecy is MINE. Entirely. I made it, and I have proof! So please please please don't steal it. 
> 
> 2) Domestic Percy caring for Nico is what I LIVE for! It's so cute, and I don't know why. I think Percy feels responsible for some of the terrible things Nico has been through, so he would always try to do hs best in protecting Nico. Afterall, I'm pretty sure somewhere in the books Percy has claimed he feels like an older brother to Nico (even though technically Nico is like decades older than him *coughs*)
> 
> 3) Yes, Piper quoted Minho from The Maze Runner series (by James Dashner). You won't be able to stop me, I will quote as much as I'd like. I was tempted to have Leo quote Katniss Everdeen, but decided against it. The situation seemed too serious.
> 
> 4) I've decided that at this point and time, Piper and Jason broke up. Their relationship in the books never made 100% sense to me, and it didn't fit. So I might add an OC for Piper later, though they will be briefly mentioned. 
> 
> Also, feedback is always welcome! :D  
> Have a great day Half-Bloods!


End file.
